Vegetable Tempura

Ingredients

For frying:

• Peanut or cold-pressed sunflower or safflower oil

For batter:

• 1 large egg yolk
• ¾ cup very cold sparkling water, plus more if necessary
• 1 cup cake or pastry flour, plus more for dredging

For vegetables:

• 1 medium sweet potato, sliced ¼-inch thick
• 1 small Japanese eggplant, thinly sliced
• 1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1 medium yellow squash, thinly sliced
• Broccoli, trimmed and separated into florets
• Snow peas
• Wild mushrooms, such as oyster or maitake, separated into bite-size pieces
• Shishito or Padron peppers

For serving ideas:

• Tempura Dipping Sauce, for serving
• Granulated sugar, for serving

Instructions

1. 1
   Heat 2 inches oil in a wok or heavy pot over medium heat to 350 degrees.
2. 2
   Mix yolk with water using fat wooden chopsticks.
3. 3
   Add the flour all at once and mix just slightly. There should be large lumps of flour and a rim of flour dust around the bowl. Over mixing will result in a heavy batter coating. It is best to mix the batter in this amount, and repeat as necessary.
4. 4
   Prepare ingredients, dry them, and dredge lightly in flour before dipping in batter.
5. 5
   When oil is hot, dip the vegetables one at a time into batter to coat completely, and then allow excess to drain into bowl.
6. 6
   Working in batches, about 6 pieces at a time, and using a spider, carefully submerge vegetables in oil. Cook, turning once, until light golden, puffed and cooked through, about 3 minutes for most vegetables. They should be tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife.
7. 7
   Transfer to a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack to drain.
8. 8
   Serve with dipping sauce. To serve sweet potato tempura for dessert, sprinkle with sugar and serve immediately.